Morning Joy
by kahhtina
Summary: A response to a drabble request on Tumblr, an MM one-shot set in 1931.
_Downton, Spring 1931_

Matthew shut his eyes tight, hoping that if he did so it would keep the sun from rising higher and streaming in the windows. He grabbed the pillow from beneath his head, covering his face with it in order to block out the sun's rays more fully.

But all his efforts to shut out the light wouldn't stop the baby from crying.

Beside him, Matthew felt Mary shift under the covers, obviously in a deeper sleep than he was at the moment but slowly roused by pitiful infant cries near the foot of their bed.

"Darling, he'll be fine," Matthew murmured, uncovering his face to glimpse Mary as she pushed herself into a sitting position.

His wife remained motionless for a few moments, but then shook her head slowly. She rubbed her eyes before speaking.

"You always say that, and you're always wrong," she murmured sleepily, her voice barely audible over the baby's cries.

"If you always go to him when he cries, the nurse said he won't learn how to soothe himself," Matthew reminded her.

"That isn't referring to when our baby wakes up in the morning and needs to be changed and fed," she replied, finally getting to her feet and crossing to the bassinet.

Matthew slipped the pillow back under his head, watching as Mary scooped up the tiny infant and cradled him against her chest. He smiled automatically at her instant tenderness, motherly affection as natural to her as breathing after four children. With the need to economize and reduce costs after the Depression began, Matthew had worried that losing a live-in nanny for the children would burden Mary, especially with a new baby, but she had been marvelous. He was now the earl, had been for little more than a year after losing Robert after a long battle with illness, but with Tom to help with the estate, Matthew hadn't fully given up his practice in Ripon. And it helped keep food on the table.

"Good morning, my dear one," Mary cooed softly, returning to the bed with their child after changing him swiftly. "Is little Ben hungry?"

"Have you taken to calling him Ben?"

"I'd never get used to calling him Robert, could you?" she asked. Here Matthew scrunched up his nose while Mary slid back into bed. "And Benjamin is much too long for either of the girls to say just yet, although George has quite a handle on it. But he's nearly ten."

"Naming him Robert Benjamin did please your mother rather a lot," Matthew said, draping the blanket over Mary's legs for her as she leaned against the headboard.

"I hope she is pleased," Mary said, unbuttoning her nightgown, "because I'm not intending to have another go of it after this one."

"Oh, no?" Matthew asked. "You've been remarkable with the late night feedings and changings."

"Of which you help very little," she said as little Ben began to nurse, her fingers brushing against the baby's soft brown hair.

"You need to wake me up more," he replied. "You know I'm a heavy sleeper. As long as he doesn't need fed, I can do it."

"Tonight I'll just push you out of bed, shall I?" she asked, gently teasing him.

Matthew rested his hand on top of Mary's leg, his thumb brushing against the blanket covering her now. "That would be one way," he replied.

"How else would you suggest?" she questioned, finally turning her eyes away from the baby in order to look at her husband.

She covered her mouth as she yawned, and Matthew pushed himself up into a sitting position at her side. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and Mary shifted to lean against his chest.

"You know I'm proud of you, don't you?" he asked after a long moment of silence, no noise but the sound of Ben having his morning meal.

"For what?" Mary asked, absentminded as she was back to watching the baby again.

"For being such a wonderful mother to our four beautiful children," he said, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "For understanding that we needed to be more careful with our finances. And for putting up with me."

Mary scoffed. "Hush," she said, turning her head to look at him. "You do what you can and so must I. And I have help during the day from Barrow and the maids. George and Annabel go to school during the day, and we still have a nurse to help with little Vi and this one."

"But I know it hasn't been easy," Matthew replied, gentle.

"Some would say my life has been far too easy," she murmured.

"You know that isn't true," he said. "Life is full of troubles, especially lately."

"But we manage, all thanks to you," Mary stated with finality. Ben fussed for a few moments, squirming as he pushed himself away from Mary's breast, indicating he was done eating. She lifted the baby to her shoulder to burp him, gently patting his back.

"And you," Matthew added.

Mary scoffed again and passed Ben to Matthew. Having seen to her little boy, she felt perfectly at ease passing him to his father.

"Whatever shall we do with our Saturday?" Mary asked. "Do you have plans with Tom?"

"Not today," Matthew replied, cradling Ben close to his chest. The baby's tiny fist grasped Matthew's forefinger, and both gazed transfixed at the other. "George and the girls have been begging for a trip to the river, so I thought we might take a picnic and have it down by the water. Care to join us?"

"Only if I can take a nap before we go," she stipulated, smiling as she watched the two of them.

Matthew glanced up, a rueful smile on his own face as their eyes met.

"Of course, darling," he said. "I'll try to make sure you're not disturbed."

With a laugh of disbelief, Mary leaned in for a kiss.

 _Thoughts?_


End file.
